


The Descent

by Vitanitas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, M/M, Purgatory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-17 07:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vitanitas/pseuds/Vitanitas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It happened after a stab to a throat, and a burst of black blood. It was a tidal wave, a complete override of all his senses, leaving nothing but an inky nothingness and a sense of falling.<br/>Set directly after 7x23.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Descent

It happened after a stab to a throat, and a burst of black blood. It was a tidal wave, a complete override of all his senses, leaving nothing but an inky nothingness and a sense of falling. No, falling sounds to gentle. It was pull, a violent tug that seized him and all that he was. His vessel, his blood, his grace. It wrenched him from the world and sent him tumbling into the void, wings whipping around him in a pathetic attempt to control his fall.

He struggled for what seemed like hours, eventually getting his wings in order and able to somewhat stabilize himself. All around is darkness, and if it wasn’t for the feeling of being pulled through a vacuum and the unending sensation of plummeting to his death, he would have thought he was simply in a pitch black room. He was just starting to fear that he was going blind (his grace was dimming and he was not sure what freighted him more- the loss of his grace again, or the loss of his sight) when a light below him caught his attention.

He gasped at what he saw. It was a soul, a soul he new intimately, and it was shinning in the void of their descent just out of Castiel’s reach.  His body was there too of course, but it seemed that whatever passage way they found themselves in had bared their inner workings on the visible plane. He suspected if Dean were conscious, he would have been able to see Castiel’s wings as well; much good it would do him, as he would go blind in an instant. And wouldn’t that just be sad? A blind angel and a blind human.

What would a blind angel do? Would he be left to die alone? Like a bee with a stinger but no wings to fly with?

Cas shook his head. He was getting distracted again; he needed to grab Dean. Their dive was harming his body, and soon his soul would be as well. Castiel can heal a body, but souls were difficult to mend, as he well knew.

He angled his wings and trudged up some grace for momentum. It would be difficult to propel himself forward, but it was his only option. He stretched out his arms and reached for Dean, his soul a beacon in the blackness around them. The image was similar to another time, when Castiel had clawed and fought his way through hell to save the soul of the righteous man. Back then Dean’s soul had been bloody and weighed down by guilt, and had made their ascent difficult. But Castiel had been strong and filled with purpose. He was an angel of the Lord, and his Lord had specifically chosen him for this task. They had burst out of hell in an explosion of light and grace.

This time, however, was different. This time Castiel was the broken one. His mind was scattered and it was _his_ guilt that weighed him down; like slick, black oil on his feathers. It was difficult to stay focused, and the further they plunged into the blackness, the more of his grace faded away.

But still his purpose was the same: save Dean Winchester. He used it used it as a mantra to keeps his mind focused on his task. Save Dean. Save Dean. Save Dean.

 What seemed like mere hours but long years had passed when he finally reached Dean. His soul shinned brightly through his body, outshining even Castiel’s grace. Cas griped his shoulders while a small part of his mind mockingly told him to take care not to brand the righteous man this time.

 He hadn’t planned on what to do after he had Dean. He couldn’t get them out of the tunnel, and he couldn’t stop their descent. He griped Dean tighter to his chest, moving his arms into an embrace. What he could do was hold Dean close, and wrap his wings around them both.

The blackness swallowed them whole, and they fell, together.


End file.
